Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-30
UNCLE SANS WAY.
The Railroads Must Garry the Postal
Agents of the Government Free
of Charge for Passage.
What the Buffalo Women Say of the
First Lady Of the Land-A Touch
OF Sadness 0iscernible.
Seismic Disturbances Predicted in the Near
Future by Professor W. j. Niece
Startling Scientific Facts.
WILL RIDE FREE.

WASHINGTON. MarCn Z9--Ine POST
master General has issued the following
circular addressed tC division superin-
tendents and inspectors and other Off
Gals and employees of the railway mail
service: "The attention of the depart
ment has been invited by officers of many
railroad companies to the Interstate COM
merce act with the inquiry how far these
provisions which they have deemed re-
strictive Of free travel affect the persons
or employees OF the postal service. The
cores pondence has almost universally
contained an expression Of willingness to
continue the facilities heretofore afforded
unless such course be in COntraventiOn
of law. In order to have a satisfactory
exposition of this point the opinion of the
Attorney General was solicited whether
there be anything in the act which
prohibits the practices heretofore prevail
ing. The Attorney Generals opinion is
that the Interstate act does not affect the
postal service but is in relation to
commerce only, and concludes as follows:
"As the act does not include the mail
service il it's provisions, none of the law
full, customary and necessary instrument
talities by which that service is conducted
are subjected to the law. Among the
| lawful, customary and necessary iDstru-
mentalities for efficient, constant and sue
| Cessful conduct of the service, the post
| Office department is authorized by law to
| send officers, agents and clerks of
| the government 10 take charge Of
postal cars and distribute the mails
and search for and investigate errors,
| frauds or crimes relating to them. Per
sons thus employed when in the line of
| duty or when in the pursuance thereof
going or returning from their places Of
residence while in performance of this
service or to or from their assigned line
of duty in the ordinary and customary
course of the-adniniS .TstiOn OF the ser
vice shOuld be regarded as in the perform
ance Of official labor and are unaffected
| by the provisions of this act. This
authoritative Interpretation relieves all
railroad companies employed in carrying
mail from any risk of violation of the
statute by continuance of the courteous
methods of intercourse and business
heretofore prevailing between the depart
ments and railroad companies. 1t should
perhaps be added, by way of information,
that transportation given to inspectors
upon q commission of the department
and to postal clerks on the line of their
duty, is not free travel but
by law and regulations constitutes part
of the service paid for IN mileage COM
pensatiOn to the railroad companies. In
spectors and postal clerks who may be
required by any mail contractor to pay
fare when travelling on official duty
will take receipt for the same and re-
port the facts to the department, that the
amount may be deducted from the car
rier's compensation, according to long
established usage.
MRS. CLEVELAND UNHAPPY.
Special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-Among the
Buffalo people who have recently visited
Washington there have been a great many
ladies'. These ladies expressed no inor-
dinate desire to see the President of the
United States, but they were very anxious
to look upon the pleasing fea ures of his
eStima0le wife. As rule they were graf
flied, but they were not altogether salts
fed with their success. The reason was
that they found her with an expression of
sadness upon her face for which they
could Me- account. Among the party
were 9 number of ladies who had q more |
or less intimate acquaintance with Mrs. !
Frank Folsom. These knew her as
bIithsome, happy girl, to whom sorrow
and care were unknown and they are |
unanimous in their verdict that Mrs.
Cleveland, for some unex plained reason, !
is unhappy. 1t may be that The strain |
upon her brought about by the social
duties which she has had to perform dur
ing the Washington season have had their |
effect. 1t may be that the recent death |
of her grandmother, to whom she was |
very closely attached, is the reason for |
her sadness. Whatever the cause the |
effect il plain, and o Their ladies besides |
Mrs. Cleveland's neighbors have noted of |
late that the first lady in the land does
not appear to be as happy as she should. |
CLARA BARTON ON TEXAS.
Special TO the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, March. 29.-Miss Clara |
Barton, President of the Geneva Red !
Cross Society, has just returned from
Texas, where she went to examine into
the condition of the sufferers from the |
long continued drouth. Miss Barton |
paints in glowing pictures the hardships |
which the poor people in that stricken |
region have had to contend with,
and she says that their con-
ditlon is pltiable in the extreme.
The people of the state, however, have
takeh the subject of relief into their own
hands and there is every indication now
that there will be no necessity to call for
outside aid. Miss Barton has q habit of
teaching the doctrine of self-reliance in 8
very practical manner, and her visit to
the southwest has taught the Texas PEG
pie lesson which will prove of inestlma-
bic value to them in taking care of their
distressed citizens in the future.
EARTHQUAKES PREDICTED.
special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-The course |
of public lectures recently inaugurated by |
the Philosophical, AnthropJlogical and !
PiOl0oicat SOcjotiaS caIcularad m